Lock for safes



May 7, .1935. w, LAVALLEE 2,000,238

LocK FOR sAFEs Filed Oct. 24, 1932 Patented May 7, 1935 UNITED STATES LOCK FOR SAFES Wilfrid Lavalle, LongueuiLQuebec, Canada, as-

signor of one-half to Cyprien Ste.-Maric, l Longueuil, Quebec, Canada Application ctober'24, 1932, Serial No. 639,255

1 Claim.

The object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism which retards the opening of a safe door even after the proper combination has been used. Such a device is lintended to reduce burglaries in chain stores, cigar stores,

gas stations and the like which are commonly robbed in broad daylight and where the success of the crime depends on quick opening of the safe and a prompt escape. It will be evident that, in broad daylight, a retarded opening of the safe would cause the burglars to flee before the theft is completed.

The invention embodies a stop normally obstructing ythe door bolt from moving to release position. By proper manipulation, the stop is set in motion towards a position which permits release of the bolt. This motion, however, is comparatively slow, whereby the opening of the door is delayed as above set forth. Preferably, the motion is initiated by means of a wound spring but is retarded by an associated gear train and pendulum.

The invention is fully disclosed by way of example in the following description and in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a vertical section showing the clockwork;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the safe;

Figure 4 is a detail section showing the escapement;

Figure 5 is a detail section showing the spring wind;

Figure 6 is a detail elevation of the pawl and ratchet;

Figure 7 is an elevation of the locking bolt and associated parts; and

Figure 8 is a plan section of the safe door and locking bolt.

Reference to these views will now be made by use of like characters which are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

In Figure 3 is shown a safe I having a door 2 mounted on hinges 3. At the inner side of the door is a locking bolt 4 adapted to interlock with the door frame 5 as shown more clearly in Fig. 8. The bolt is supported in part and operated by a stud 6 passing through a slot 1 in the door.

In order to prevent unauthorized shifting oi the stud, a hasp 8 is hinged at 9 to the door and apertured at I0 to receive the stud. The free end of the hasp ts over a staple I I on the frame 5, and a padlock I2 is locked to the hasp.

The timing mechanism governing the opening of the safe door is enclosed in a housing I3 built (Cl. 'l0-26) on the back of the door as shown in Fig. 2. It embodies a hub or stop I4 on which gear teeth I5 are formed. The bolt 4 is 'forked at I6 over the hub and has a nger I1 adapted to register with a slot I3 in the hub without pass- 5 ing therethrough. Theshub has another slot I9 through which the finger I1 may pass to permit opening of the bolt 4. This slot is brought into register with the finger I1 in a given interval of time by means of a pinion 2U meshing 10 with the teeth I5 and driven, by means presently to be described, to rotate the hub I4.

It will be seen in Fig. 5 that a shaft 2I is journalled in the housing I3 and carries a dished gear 22 from which a journal 23 extends. The gear 20 is keyed to this journal. The dished portion 24 of the gear 22 contains a spring 25 having its ends secured to the shaft and gear. The spring may be Wound by means of a handle 26 on one end of the shaft. The other end of the shaft carries a ratchet 21 engaged by a pawl 28 pulled by a spring 28 to prevent unwinding of the spring through the shaft. V

The bolt 4 is normally moved by a spring 29 against the hub I4. The finger I1 normallyv25 engages with the slot I8 to hold the stop or hub from rotating under the action of the spring 25 through pinion 20 and gear teeth I5. When the finger is withdrawn with the bolt by means of the stud 6, the hub I4 is free to turn under spring action until the winderv slot I9 is in position to receive the finger, whereupon the bolt moves to open position under the action of spring 29.

The action of the spring l25 on gear 22 and pinion 20 is retarded by the mechanism shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4. A shaft 30 journalled in housing I3 carries a gear 3| and a pinion 32, the latter meshing with gear 22. Another shaft 33 in the housing carries a gear 34 and pinion 35, the latter meshing with gear 3l. Anothershaft 36 carries a pinion 31 meshing with gear 34.

The shaft 36 also carries two star gears 31 and 33. Beneath the vshaft 36, a pendulum 39 is pivoted at 40. The upper end of the pendulum carries two arms 4I and 42 meshing with the star gears 31 and 38 respectively. The arms 4I and 42 serve as pawls intermittently arresting motion of the gear train and timed according to the period of the pendulum after the latter has once been swung by impact of the gears 31' and 38.

By this means, the movement bringing the slot I9 in line with the finger I1 to permit opening of the safe door, is delayed. The delay is suftion has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that various alterations in thedetails of construction may be made without departing from the scopefof the invention asindcated by the appended claim'.

What I claim is:-

In combination, a door, a slidable bolt adapted to lock said door, a rotary hub, a finger extending from said bolt towards said hub, a spring holding said iinger against said hub, said hub having a recess adapted to interlock with said finger to prevent rotation of the hub and to obstruct movement of the bolt to release positiony manually engageable means carried by said bolt for disengagng said nger from said re- Cess; retardedy means tending'to` rotate said hub and operative on disengagement of said hub and nger, said hub having a peripheral slot spaced from said recess and adapted to admit saidnger, thereby permitting movement of said bolt to release position.

WILF'RID LAVALLE. 

